I've been to Nigeria and visited a clinic where these funds are being used to help AIDS patients. Efforts are being made to include education about prevention, but most of the funds are going towards pharmaceutical needs. The poverty in the United States does not compare at all to the poverty in Nigeria. I work with the poor in the US, and they have things way better than most Nigerians. The US could adopt policys that focus solely on helping Americans, but I believe that with the wealth we have, we should give back to those who don't when we see an opportunity. The PEPFAR program has been a great initiative by Bush, and I am not a Bush supporter. People need to put politics aside and realize that this initiative has been a positive act by the US government.

The idea of helping another country is very admirable, but as I have stated before, and so have others, the US government should help its own first.  People are hurting here, and it's going to get worse before it gets better. Wake up, America!

Help America.It's in real bad shape

and people say Bush has no humanity ... HUMPF!

Okay, but there are other things more important to support than AIDS control.

Excellent idea...but only IF the money (and I mean every cent) actually goes directly (in the form of medication )to helping the people in need. What is the use of spending $15 billion dollars if administrative costs will eat up $12 billion?

Good plan, if it had actually been genuine. Actually it is too little too late, but better than nothing. Predictably, the Bush admin never had any intention of going through with it. UPDATE: With their attentions focused elsewhere, and their agenda to ban gay unions, I think this has even less chance of being a priority - hell, even on the list - of the Bush administration now that he is in for another 4 years. They'll still trot it out and mention it in passing when it suits their purposes.

I am all for an AIDS relief plan to help Africa the most highly infected continent on the globe. The money must however be allocated to preventative measures to stop the transmission of the virus. If we are to spend money drugs that just alleviate the symptoms we will simply allow for longer terms of communication for the disease to spread; thus exacerbating the situation. Many Africans are operating in an information vacuum. This should be the area of focus. In America we have the lowest per capita rate of AIDS in the world not because we have the best drugs because the drugs don't kill the virus. We have the lowest rate because Americans have the greatest access to information about the virus thereby reducing transmission. Also the utilization of such funds must be properly monitored and should be increased if the funds are used correctly.

Sounds good and noble doesn't it? But most of this money is going towards abstinence programs, and not a penny of it is going towards subsidizing the fiendishly expensive AIDS medications that could save so many lives. And full grown adults are not going to listen when smug foreigners tell them to stop having sex. Look through Bush's entire political history and you'll find that every initiative he's come up with is riddled with doublespeak and misleading rhetoric. At best, this plan is utterly useless.